Professional Experience
Formerly Chief of the White Collar Crime Section of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, a major portion of Ralph’s practice involves complex commercial disputes, environmental litigation matters and advice to lawyers and law firms involving separation and dissolution of practices, including defense of professional negligence claims. Ralph also has extensive experience in construction and real estate disputes.
Ralph represents individuals and corporations in white-collar criminal investigations by governmental agencies encompassing environmental, health care, securities fraud, antitrust, tax and government procurement matters.
A respected speaker, having addressed both legal and community organizations, Ralph was recently named as one of Ohio’s Super Litigation Attorneys and was also named as one of Cleveland’s leading white collar defense attorneys by Chambers USA.
Areas Of Emphasis
Ralph’s significant antitrust, malpractice, unfair trade, and commercial litigation experience, both as defense counsel and a prosecutor includes:
- Litigating real estate, title, zoning and construction contract disputes relating to major office building projects, abandoned industrial facilities and residential properties
- Representation of accountants and attorneys in the defense of professional malpractice claims in federal and state court proceedings. Representation of lawyers and law firm in disputes arising from separation of practices and termination of employment, including dissolution of a law firm under Bankruptcy Court supervision.
- Defending and prosecuting claims of unfair competition, majority/minority shareholder disputes, trade secret covenant-not-to compete and tortuous interference with business relationships including claims asserted under civil (federal and state) RICO statutes and the Economic Espionage Act
- Representation of borrowers and lending institutions including loan participation agreement disputes
Ralph’s recent environmental and toxic torts law experience includes the following:
- Defense to toxic tort claims involving asbestos and vinyl chloride
- Negotiated a highly technical air permit involving the emission of volatile organic compounds in a non-attainment area
- Litigated State of Ohio enforcement actions involving allegations of illegal treatment, storage and disposal facility resulting at solid waste disposal facilities and asbestos abatement claims
- Obtained a major arbitration victory for a Fortune 500 company utilizing a detailed and technical evaluation of the site and the client’s activities in relation to the clean-up work ordered by U.S. EPA
- Represented numerous industrial clients as well as a defense group made up of potentially responsible parties in a government-initiated cost-recovery action under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
- Served as common counsel for several defense groups in large, multi-party cost recovery actions where he has negotiated favorable settlements and site-specific apportionment of response costs among a majority of the parties
Ralph's white collar criminal defense experience includes:
- Defending criminal and civil antitrust enforcement actions commenced by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office involving allegations of bid rigging, territorial allocation and antitrust conspiracy under federal and state statutes
- Successfully representing companies and individuals in white collar criminal matters of bankruptcy and health care fraud, Davis-Bacon Act compliance, procurement fraud, antitrust and securities enforcement, IRS tax matters, ERISA benefit matters and criminal enforcement of environmental laws including wetland issues
Professional & Community Associations
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American, Ohio and Cleveland Bar Associations
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Master Bencher, A.J. Celebrezze Inn of Court
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Life Member, Conference of the Eighth Judicial District of Ohio
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Member, Judicial Advisory Committee to the U.S. District Court (Northern District of Ohio)
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Member of Panel of Mediators for Commercial Disputes – Cuyahoga County, Ohio Common Pleas Court
- Leadership Cleveland, Class of 2006
Awards & Recognition
- AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- 2006-2007 - Recognized in the 2006 & 2007 editions of Corporate Counsel Magazine: Best Lawyers - Environmental Law
- 2006-2008 - Selected to be included in the 2006-2008 editions of Best Lawyers in America: Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law and White Collar Criminal Defense
- 2005-2007 - Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers. Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
- 2004-2008 - Law & Politics Ohio Super Lawyer.Business Litigation; Criminal Defense—White Collar; Environmental Litigation
Articles by Raph E. Cascarilla
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